Seas of Love
by Lady Psychic
Summary: Harry remembers when he joined the crew of a pirate ship and met it's captain, Severus Snape. Pirate!AU, Snarry, One-Shot


_A/N: This fanfic is written for the "All Year Long Competition". This fic contains Snape/Harry._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Harry Potter. No profit has been made from this fanfic._

**Seas of Love**

It was a clear, quiet night and Harry Potter found himself standing on the deck of the pirate ship, "The Green Slytherin". Lost in thought, Harry stared at the sky and began counting stars. As he did so, he began to remember the events seven years ago that led him to this ship and it's captain.

It all began when Harry was just eleven years old. Up until then, he had been living with his relatives, the Dursleys. It was not a happy childhood by any means. They forced him to sleep in a tiny room underneath the stairs, verbaly abused him, and often fed him very little. While they had never severely beat him, they made it quite clear that he was unwelcome in their home.

One day, shortly after his eleventh birthday, Harry discovered a loose floorboard as he was cleaning the house. Lifting up the floorboard, Harry found an old photograph and he picked it up with interest. It was a photo of a young girl and a young boy standing side by side. Turning the photo over, Harry noticed that the words "Lilly and Severus Snape" were written on the back. Harry didn't have a clue who Severus Snape was, but he did know that Lilly was his mother's name. 'Could this be my mother? And who is this Severus Snape that is with her?' he wondered, as he stared at the picture. He knew that his father's name was James Potter, not Severus Snape; so, Harry couldn't help but be curious about the boy in the photo.

Harry originally thought about asking his aunt, Petunia, about the photo, but he quickly decided against it. After all, his aunt very rarely spoke about her sister, and she always made it quite clear that she disliked talking about the past. With this in mind, as well as the fact that he could no longer tolerate the Dursleys' abuse, Harry came to a decision. That night, Harry left his relative's house with nothing more than the photo, some oversized clothes, a pair of mismatched socks, and a few pieces of bread. He had considered running away several times before then, but he finally had a destination to go to: someone who had ties to at least one of his parents.

It took several months before Harry eventually tracked down Severus Snape. To Harry's astonishment, it turned out that Severus Snape was actually the captian of a pirate ship called "The Green Slytherin". Knowing that the man he was persuing was a pirate made Harry quite wary, but he still wanted to find out about that man's connection to his mother. So, when he heard rumors about "The Green Slytherin" arriving at the local port, Harry made his move and snuck aboard the ship.

Of course, Harry soon regreted his decision as he was discovered less than an hour later by none other than the captain himself. While he had clearly changed over the years, there was still enough of a resemblace that Harry could tell that the man who currently held a sword to his throat was the same person as the boy in the photo. It took all of Harry's courage to remain calm as the man leaned down and whispered into his ear.

"If you wish to live, boy, you will tell me who you are and explain to me in detail as to why you were hiding on my ship."

Harry stared at the man in front of him and replied, "My name is Harry Potter and I've been looking for you. You're the boy in this photo, right?"

The man snatched to photo from Harry's hand and scowled. "I see. So, you are the offspring of that arrogant fool, James Potter? I should've known. You have obviously inheirited his arrogance if you thought you could get away with sneaking aboard my ship."

Harry, who was both shocked by the revelation that the pirate captain knew his father and angered by the man's statements, exclaimed, "Take that back! Don't you say things like that about my father! How do you even know him, anyways? I thought you knew my mother!"

"Your father was a rival of mine. He and his crewmates were always trying to obtain whatever treasure I was looking for." At the look of confusion on Harry's face, Snape added, "Yes, your father was a pirate. Judging from your reaction, I take it that you did not know this fact. As for your mother, she and I were childhood friends, though we later had a falling out. What she ever saw in your father, I will never understand. Now, I suggest that you leave my ship and never return."

"Please, sir," Harry pleaded, "I came all this way just to find you. Besides, I don't have anywhere else to go."

The captain narrowed his eyes and contemplated in silence for several moments. "Fine, I will allow you to stay if you wish. However, there will be several rules you must follow. First, you will refer to me as Captain Snape or sir at all times. Second, you will obey any comand that I may give you. Failure to do so will result in you getting kicked off my ship, even in the middle of the ocean. Do you agree to my conditions?" Harry nervosly nodded in agreement.

Time quickly passed after Harry joined Captain Snape's crew. While the captain was still a git towards Harry at first, the crew were rather friendly and Harry found himself fitting right in. Also, unlike his time with the Dursleys, Harry found himself well fed. Still, Harry wanted to earn Captain Snape's respect; so, he spent the next few years he did whatever he could to please his captain. At first, there seemed to be no change in the captain's behavior towards him, but as time went on, Harry noticed subtle differences. Captain Snape slowly started to act nicer towards Harry, if only slightly.

Suddenly, a creaking noise snapped Harry out of his memories. He turned to find Captain Snape walking slowly towards him. Harry observed the man in front of him and couldn't help but note that while the man was not traditionally handsome, he still had a certain appeal.

"Tell me, Potter, how long has it been since you joined my crew?"

"Around seven years, sir," answered Harry. "I just turned eighteen a few days ago."

"I see." An uncomfortable silence surrounded them before Snape continued. "I remember the day we first met. I thought you were nothing more than an arrogant brat back then. However, I have lately come to reassess my opinion of you."

"What made you change your mind?" asked Harry. As he stared into Captain Snape's dark eyes, he began to wonder when his feelings towards the man changed from youthful admiration to something deeper.

"I have come to realise over the years that while you look like your father, your personality is more like your mother's. Also, you have some apealing assets of your own."

"I do?" As he asked he question, Harry noticed that Captain Snape's body was rather close to his own. His heart began to beat wildly as the man's body shifted even closer.

"Yes, you do." With that said, Snape closed the distance and their lips met.

The kiss seemed to last for a long time. When they finally broke apart, Harry caught his breath and felt his face warm with a blush. He tried to think of something to say, but words were unable to form from his mouth.

In the end, it was Snape who broke the silence. "Am I correct in assuming that you share the same feelings for he as I do for you?" At Harry's nod, he continued, "If we choose to pursue a more intimate relationship, we must be a discreet as possible. I must also request that you continue to refer to me as captain or sir while in front of the crew. However, you may call me Severus while we are alone or in the privacy of my cabin."

"Yes sir, I mean, Severus."

As their lips met once again, Harry thought about how much their relationship changed over seven years and about how the events of that night would mark yet another change between them. While the future of their relationship remained uncertain, Harry vowed that he would remain aboard "The Green Slytherin" with his captain for the rest of his life.

**The End**


End file.
